A tale befitting any Opera
by Selina666
Summary: Shilo lost everything and finds someone who can help fill that void. But the largos arent done with little Shilo Wallace. How can Grave Robber give her a new life when the Largos are bent on making her want to die? Grilo. WARNING-check inside
1. Sympathy and Death

**For the record, this is a fanfic that immediately follows the end of the movie. If you havent seen it, do it! Repo the genetic opera. I do not own Repo or any of its characters. This story is meant for entertainment purposes only. WARNING: This story has graphic and violent scenes involving rape, death, torture, and sex. If any of these offend you please read no further. And please don't message me and complain about the content. you were warned, it's your own fault if you read on and find its too gruesome for you. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy!**

Sympathy and Death

Grave robber. That's what they all called him. Hell that's what he called himself. His true name had been forgotten too long ago to recall. Ever since he'd been on his own, prowling the streets, stealing and peddling drugs to get by, he had been Grave robber. And he was proud of that, in a twisted kind of way. He was the link between life and death, pain and bliss, need and satisfaction. He had thought that connection was enough, but after he met her, that started to change. What once filled him with excitement made him doubt and hate himself. The way she looked at him made him angry. Not because she judged him, or despised him. No, it was the infinite sadness he saw in those chocolate eyes that burned him. He saw sadness, regret, and agony, withdrawl, everyday he saw that. But it was different with her. She hadn't ruined her life the way the street walkers and gamblers he dealt with had. She was a little lost princess, locked away in her tower. The only person she ever knew and trusted betrayed her, and then died. She didn't gamble away her life; her life had never belonged to her. It made his heart ache, and his gut wrench. He hated it. He hated that he had to feel around her, the little sick orphan Shilo Wallace.

Shilo sat against the dumpster, trembling violently. Tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving pale rivers that ran through the blood that stained her skin. The blood of her father, and her godmother. The one who imprisoned her, the one who wanted her to be free, and the only two people she had ever known to love her. And they were gone. She hated them, and was so desperate for them to be there again that it felt like she would die. She had always felt alone up in her room. She laughed painfully. What a foolish child she had been. Her misery in that bedroom could never compare to this hollow void that filled her chest, devouring her heart. Vaguely she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up, the heavy yet hesitant footsteps so much like her fathers. But it wasn't her father, and it never would be again.

"Kid, is that you?..." The dark voice, so familiar and so alien at the same time pulled her only slightly out of her trance. Her teary eyes focused on his familiar pale face. What wasn't familiar was the horrified expression he wore. He slowly kneeled down in front of her, his dark eyes lacking their characteristic mischievous glow. The smirk he so often wore was gone, replaced by a slightly slack jawed look of shock. She stared back at him blankly.

"Kid, say something, are you injured?" He said, grabbing her arm, shaking lightly. She blinked and looked down at herself, covered in blood.

"It's not my blood…" She whispered, looking back up at him. The shock on his face lessened slightly and he sat down, grunting.

"I see…so all that commotion about the opera…the girl whose father died on stage….it was you wasn't it." He looked at her with what he hoped was a sympathetic expression. Sympathy was not an emotion he was accustomed too. She nodded mutely. He couldn't help but to stare at the girl. Sure she had always been a bit skittish, a nervous girl. But before she had a bit of rebellion in her, she had spirit. What he saw before him now resembled one of his corpses more than a living breathing girl. The life was gone from her eyes, and she was still as stone except for the small tremors that wracked her every few minutes. He sighed, swiftly lifting her up. He almost stumbled, surprised by how light she really was. She looked up at him, with what looked like a spark of surprise in her eyes. He was glad to see the emotion, one other than agony on her face. Then, as quick as it appeared it was gone. She rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes as he carried her away into the darkness.

**Authors note: I am going to attempt to keep the characters as close in personality to their portrayal in the movie as I can, but many experiences they will face in this story were not seen in the movie, so their reactions can only be guessed at. have patience with me, and please let me know what you think. I will post updates as regularly as possible, at least once every 4-5 days whenever I can.**


	2. Me and My Girl

Me and My Girl

It had been three days since the girl had been staying with him. He didn't have a home persay, and she had refused to return to her own. He could understand why. She had spent every moment of her short life trapped in that place with her father. Too many bad memories haunted that place for her to return. So she had been wandering with him, staying at random motels. He had called in a favor with an old friend to get her a place to take a shower safely, and a change of clothes. She looked better without all the blood, but she still carried an air of death around her. It unsettled some of his customers, but he didn't mind. She couldn't be left alone, she'd wither away, and for some reason he couldn't let that happen. He barely listened to the potential customer chattering away at him. He startled and looked behind him when he heard a soft whimper. One of the men he'd been trying to sell to had Shilo by the arm. He had jerked her closer to him, while she struggled weakly.

"So Grave Robber, this one's new isn't she. I think I'd rather buy her for a few hours, how much you want for her." The man's question enraged Grave robber.

"Let her go, she's not a street walker, she's my companion." He glared at the man, but in his drunken haze the man ignored him, tugging at the girls shirt. When she tried to scratch him, he slapped her hard, knocking her to the ground. In a flash Grave Robber grabbed the man, ramming him hard against the alley wall, his eyes burning.

"I said she's mine, now get out of here before I see if I can extract Zydrate from the living." He growled the words menacingly, and the man he held nodded.

"S sorry man, didn't know she belonged to someone." Grave robber growled and threw the man away from him, turning and kneeling next to Shilo.

"You ok Kid?" He inspected the bruise forming on her face, and the blood on her split lip. The anger inside him welled up, and he snarled under his breath. She saw the expression on his face and shivered slightly. He noticed her reaction, and forced a smile.

"Don't worry Miss Wallace, my bark is worse than my bite." He stood, helping her to her feet. He began walking, hearing her jog to catch up, walking beside him. He could feel her eyes on him and he raised an eyebrow, glancing at her. "What?"

"You said I'm yours." She said quietly, her eyes looking up at him, wary and cold. But he saw something else in there too. Hope maybe? He wasn't sure. He cleared his throat, looking ahead of him.

"Yea don't worry about it, sometimes you gotta tell a lie to keep the creeps away." He shrugged, looking back at her. Her expression alarmed him, though he didn't show it. She looked so sad. God those tortured eyes could turn any man into a blubbering moron.

"I see…" She mumbled, staring ahead. She started when a cold hand reached out and grabbed her arm, forcefully and yet gently. She looked up into the grave robbers eyes, who was looking at her curiously.

"ki-Shilo." He started. a look from her silenced him.

"Forget about it, I'm just tired..' She mumbled, beginning to walk down the alley. He followed after her silently, and they both disappeared into the shadows.

some time later...

Grave robber watched the girl as she slept. She tossed and turned, whimpering. He knew she was having nightmare. he was familiar with those kinds of dreams. He used to have them a lot. He shook the girl gently, waking her from her fitful sleep. She sat up, looking at him tiredly.

"I gotta go to work kid. You stay here, and stay outta trouble ok. its not safe for you to be on the streets a lot right now." She nodded yawning.

"Ok...will you be back soon?" She asked. He nodded.

"Should be back tonight, 5 hours tops." He said, glancing out the window. She nodded and he stood, walking over to the door. He closed it behind him, giving her one last glance.

Once he had left she felt that all to familiar dread and lonliness creeping into her. she looked around for a distraction. Her salvation came in the form of an old western novel. The pages were wrinkled and stained. She figured he must have found it in the trash somewhere, but didn't care that much. She picked it up and started to read.

At GeneCo...

Luigi stared down at the bleeding Gentern coldly. His temper had gotten worse and worse since their father had died at the opera. And since he had revealed that he intended Shilo Wallace to be his heir. The shout made his scowl deepen. Pavi stood next to him, rambling in the god awful falsetto accent. All he had been able to talk about since the opera had been the Wallace girl. He wanted them to go after her. Luigi wasnt sure if Pavi wanted to kill her and take her face, or turn her into one of his play things. Either way, he didn't care. He wanted her to feel the pain he felt, and more. Luigi felt the anger building inside of him before he turned and shouted at his brother.

"Pavi, shut the fuck up!" His brother went quiet. Pavi recognised that look in his brothers eyes. It was the look that said someone was going to be dead soon, or wished that they were.

"Pavi, lets go find that Shilo girl. I'm in a bad mood, and I think I'd enjoy seeing her scream right now." He stalked off out of the GeneCo building, and Pavi followed excitedly.

"That's u-what I like to hear Brother!"

**Authors note: ok, for the sake of the story line, the grave robbers going to change his personality a bit, starting as it did in this chapter with that protective possessiveness. Don't worry, you'll see bits and pieces of the old grave robber popping up to keep him in character. Anyway, the next chapter gets really dark, so be warned! If you disapprove of violence and sexual content and a combination of the two, do not read on. you have been warned.**


	3. Pain and Rage

**Quite note: ok, this is the chapter where it starts getting a wee bit dark, so again, don't read if it's going to offend you. I don't wanna hear complaints about that when I've given you plenty of warning. This is a repo fan fic, if you were looking for fluffy bunnies and rainbows, go elsewhere. K thanks. **

Pain and Rage

Shilo sat staring at the worn pages of the book. She wasn't sure how late it was, but she could tell the sun was beginning to rise… She heard a deep voice outside, and ran to open the door. But it wasn't grave robber standing there…

Luigi and Pavi Largo stood at the door. She turned and bolted toward the back door, but a rough hand grabbed her arm, yanking her backwards, dislocating her shoulder in the process. She cried out in pain falling to the floor. She groaned and sobbed, trying to pull away from Luigi. He grinned crookedly, yanking on her injured arm, pulling another scream from the frail girl. He laughed cruelly and Pavi clapped his hands enthusiastically.

"Ah, that's right little girl, scream for me!" He hissed. He pulled his knife out, and when she saw it, she froze, staring at it wide eyed.

"N-no, please…I'm sorry, I-" Luigi shot her a warning glare and she shut her mouth, trembling as he waved the knife in front of her face. With a feverish hunger in his eyes he tore away her clothing. He loved the way fear rolled off her in waves as her tears streamed down her cheeks. Wanting more of her pain he shoved two fingers deep inside her. Her back arched and she screamed. His knife flashed leaving a long deep gash in her pale thigh. Her scream broke another octave, until her voice finally cracked. He continued pumping his fingers deep inside the trembling girl. Pavi stood at her head, jerking himself off.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed. She felt pain wash over her in waves, mixed with another feeling that would wrack through her frail little body every once in a while. The feeling was always followed by a cruel laugh from Luigi and a sharp pain in her thigh. After what felt like hours, Luigi pulled his fingers out of her, slapping her bruised womanhood. She didn't have the energy to whimper. She lay on the cold hard floor, staring at the wall blankly. Her naked chest and stomach were covered in Pavi's cum. Luigi kicked her in the ribs, pulling a weak cry of pain from her.

"Better find a better hiding place little girl, next time it'll be Pavi's turn." Luigi laughed darkly, slamming the door behind him. And she was finally alone. She considered sitting up and looking for her clothes, but she couldn't muster the energy or motivation to move. Numbness spread through her body, and she feared that moving even an inch would bring all the pain back in a wave that would destroy her. She lay there, her eyes closed, wishing for the comforting darkness to take her.

Meanwhile…

Grave robber put the corpse back in its tomb, smiling to himself. "Thank you ma'am, you've just given me my next meal ticket." He heard loud voices, and ducked behind a larger grave stone, staying as silent as the corpses around him. Peering out he saw Pavi and Luigi Largo strolling down the street.

"That was much more fun that those stupid Genterns. Those screams of hers were like music. "Luigi said, laughing that eerie manacle laugh of his. Pavi clapped his hands and giggled as well.

"I u-know what you mean brother! She was so u-pure and innocent." He giggled again, and Grave robber had a sinking feeling.

"Kid…" He waited until the men were out of sight, and sprinted off toward the abandoned building as if the repo man himself were after him. It took almost 20 minutes for him to get back to the building. He yanked the door open, and froze. There on the floor lay little Shilo Wallace. His heart stopped when he saw how still she looked. Expecting the worst he walked over kneeling beside her. His stomach clenched when he saw the bloody gashes on her legs, and the sticky white substance on her torso. He grabbed her arm to check for a pulse, and the girl whimpered weakly.

"Kid? Can you hear me?" He demanded. He let go of her wrist, noticing the awkward angle her arm was at, and the ugly bruise that covered her shoulder. He then noticed the multitude of other bruises covering her, and growled when he saw the one between her legs.

Shilo's eyes opened tiredly, and she stared at him blankly. "Y you're back…" She whispered. Her voice was so tiny and soft he barely heard it. A wave of guilt, another emotion not familiar to him, washed over him and he nodded.

"Yea, I'm back kid." He said, taking his coat off and wrapping it around her. She cried out when he touched her shoulder. He hoped it wasn't broken as he lifted her off the ground.

"It hurts…" She groaned, hiding her face in his chest. He clenched his teeth. As a grave robber, his expertise was in running and hiding. Right now every bone in his body told him to hunt down the Largos. He knew it was foolish. His only weapon was a knife he had found on a dead Zydrate junkie. He'd only ever used it as a tool. Luigi would kill him in an instant, and as angry as he was, dying wasn't going to solve the problem at hand. He walked out the door, holding the trembling girl tightly.

"Where...are we...going?" The girl whispered. He walked faster, noticing how weak her voice was getting.

"I'm taking you home."

**Authors note:**

**Yes, I know its getting dark. but come on people, it's repo. I mean, as Luigi said "I will find a hole and fuck it. if there ain't one, I will make one." So don't pretend he isn't dark enough to rape someone. Originally I had written it so that Grave robber walked in on it, and tried to kill Luigi, but lets face it, Grave robber doesn't do confrontation. Not yet anyway, bwahahaha. let me know what you think so far. **


	4. Needle and Thread

Needle and Thread

She had protested at first, her weak little voice frantic. He knew she didn't want to go back there, but she needed medical attention. When he could stand her cries no more he snapped.

"Kid, shut up!" He snarled. He felt bad as soon as he saw the terrified look on her face. He sighed. "Listen, you need medical attention. Like it or not, your dad had medical supplies. So unless you want me to stitch you up with threads from my shirt and a safety pin, we need what's at your house." She opened her mouth to say something but a look from him silenced her. She hid her face back in his chest, and he walked briskly, looking around cautiously. He had heard a lot about Luigi Largo and his demented face stealing brother Pavi. Of one thing he was certain. They didn't leave victims, they left corpses. If they left the Kid alive, it could only mean they had worse things planned for her. The thought made his spine tingle.

When they finally got to the house, he walked up to the door, peering inside. The lights were off and he didn't hear any voices. He kicked the door open, locking it behind him as he rushed upstairs. He checked a few rooms before finding one he assumed had to be hers. The canopy bed was draped with plastic curtains, and heart rate monitors and other bizarre machines surrounded the bed. Impatiently he tore one of the curtains off the bed frame, and lay the girl down as gently as he could. Grabbing a first aid kit from behind the machinery, he opened it up, digging through its contents. Eventually he found a needle and surgical thread. Looking around some more he found some peroxide and gauze. As gently as he could he tried to clean one of the more serious looking cuts. She cried out and pulled away. What surprised him was that she seemed to be clutching at her heart, not her leg. Her breathing was fast becoming labored and he realized she couldn't breathe. He'd seen it before, the night they had first met in the graveyard. She had collapsed, saying she couldn't breathe. He had been confused by it, as the reaction was one he had seen before, but only in the worst cases of addiction with drawl. Now he understood of course. After taking a drug for 17 years, she had just gone cold turkey and stopped taking it. The with-drawl pains and shock from what had happened to her combined was going to prove too much for her to handle.

Making a decision he pulled out his Zydrate gun, loading a vial into the back. Holding her as still as he could, he shot the drug into her thigh. She cried out, but slowly her muscles relaxed and she was still, her breathing becoming more regular. The dose he had given her would keep her calm for while. He continued cleaning her wounds, and sewing the gashes shut as carefully as he could. He had sewn himself up a couple times before, and occasionally had to patch up his shirt or pants, so he knew how to use the needle and thread well enough. When he got to her arm, despite the Zydrate in her system she still whimpered as he moved her to inspect it. Glad that it wasn't a break, only a dislocated shoulder, he grabbed her arm and shoved it back into place. Her pained scream felt like it would tear his heart out. Inspecting her he determined that there were no other serious injuries or breaks. He stood and rifled through her closet, grabbing a bath robe. He wrapped her in it, covering her up before pulling the blankets over her. He took off his bloodstained over shirt and leaned against the side of the bed, closing his eyes. He drifted into sleep to the sound of Shilo breathing.

The next morning

Shilo woke, slowly opening her eyes. She stared at the familiar canopy cover of her bed, and a feeling of relief flooded through her. For a moment she allowed herself to believe that it had all been a dream. That Mag was still alive, her dad had tucked her into bed like always, the opera never happened. But when she moved to sit up, the pain that shot through her brought her back to reality. Her family was gone, and she had been tortured and violated by the sons of the man that killed her father and godmother in cold blood. Tears started streaming down her cheeks and sobs wracked her body.

Grave robber woke with a start to the sound of sobbing. He stood and turned to see Shilo sitting up in bed, crying. He wasn't really sure what to do. Sure he'd seen his share of rape victims in the alleys, but this was different. Those women usually wound up dead afterward, or whatever they were taking made them forget it ever happened. Not Shilo though. He sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling like an idiot for not being able to comfort her. He hesitantly put a hand on her good shoulder. He wanted to say it'd be ok, or she was safe now, but both were not true and he knew it. Eventually her sobs stopped, and she looked up at him.

"Hey kid, how you feeling?" He mentally slapped himself. _You idiot, what the hell kind of question is that._ She looked down, hugging the robe around her tighter. He watched her silently, a dozen errant thoughts swirling around inside his head. He realized she was probably the most sheltered kid in the world. Did she even understand what had happened to her?

"Listen Shilo…I gotta ask you a question, and you aren't gonna like it." He said slowly. She didn't look up, only nodded weakly. He cleared his throat, look awkward.

"Did they…did either of them…finish inside?" He looked up at her. She looked up at him blankly, then realization made her eyes widen slightly.

"oh…no…he didn't put his…in…" She trailed off, looking back down at her hands. The grave robber nodded, that was all he needed to know at the time. Knowing she didn't have a change of being pregnant was a huge relief. That was the last thing the poor kid needed right now. He grabbed the blanket looking at her hesitantly.

"I need to check the stitches, make sure they aren't infected. She nodded and he moved the blankets back. Moving the robe aside, he studied the wounds, a question coming to mind.

"Are those…tally marks?" He asked, looking confused. She shrugged not looking at him. "I don't know…I just know he cut me whenever I reacted a specific way…called me a pain slut…" She shivered, and the grave robber suddenly understood. He looked back at the smaller cuts, counting. He counted 17. Luigi must have been keeping track of how many times she had an orgasm. No wonder she had been nearly catatonic. 17 orgasms and blood loss on top of with drawl symptoms. It was a wonder she was alive.

He pulled the blanket back over her lap, lifting her chin so her eyes would meet his.

"Ki-Shilo…can you remember if they said anything when they left…" He demanded. Her eyes looked tortured, and she nodded slowly.

"He said…I needed to hide better…because it was Pavi's turn next…"

**Authors note**

**I know this is labeled GRILO, and we will get there eventually. Graves still sees her as "kid" after this, their relationship will slowly start developing. Get ready for revenge, blood, addiction, mistakes, regrets, and more in the following chapters.**


	5. Fear and Saddness

Fear and Saddness

Grave robber paced back and forth across the room, his pale face marred by a deep scowl. Pavi Largo. That name was almost a curse on the streets he called his home. The rich mistresses adored him; the girls of less fortune feared the thought of him. And they were right to do so. Pavi was notorious for his crime of face stealing, which usually followed gruesome acts of all sorts. He glanced at Shilo, who was staring at him wide eyed. He realized then that he was worrying her, and he slowed to a stop, sitting back down.

"We need to get you somewhere safe…if Pavi largo finds you whether I am with you or not, I won't be able to protect you." His eyes darkened with self loathing as he admitted this to the frightened girl in front of him. He was a runner, not a fighter. Chance and the darkness were on his side, but never strength. A painful memory assaulted his already dark thoughts…

_A young boy with shaggy dark hair that hid most of his face sat huddled under a table. He was probably about 6 years old, though he was smaller than he ought to have been at that age. The child flinched, covering his ears as a door slams and heavy staggering steps approach the kitchen where he is hiding. "WHERE IS THE LITTLE SHIT?" A voice drunk and enraged seems to make the very walls shake. The table above the boys head flips over, and the drunken man stands above him. "Hiding under the table, how appropriate for a cowardly little fuck like you." The little boy cries out as a rough hand twists itself into his hair, dragging him to the living room, where his mother lay on the couch. The boy pleaded with his mother to help him, but she just stared at them with those big blank eyes. Blow after blow rained down on him as he called for his mother, but all she did was watch with big sad eyes…_

Grave robber was shaken from the terrifying vision. Shilo knelt in front of him, her eyes wide and fearful. It stopped his heart for a moment. _How did I never realize…she has the same eyes as… _He sees the mournful woman in his head again, and the resemblance is startling. Surely that couldn't be what made her so dear to him…He shakes the thought off, troubled by the idea.

"I'm fine Shilo, just distracted…we need to leave, Pavi will expect you here. The sooner we leave the better." She nodded silently, still looking at him worriedly. He picked up his worn bag, stuffing random medical supplies into it. He picked her up swiftly, eliciting a gasp of surprise, and headed down the stairs, yanking the front door open. And there before him stood Pavi Largo.

"But the party cannot u-be over yet, ze main attraction has u-just arrived!"

Grave Robber clutched the girl to him, backing away quickly. His eyes scanned the house for an escape, but the windows were barred. He glared at Pavi, hate darkening his pale face. Pavi giggled, stepping into the house, shutting the door behind him.

"Don't u-be so angry Grave Robber. You u-know revenge well do you not? This is all that I am here for." The worlds sent a chill down Grave Robbers back. Shilo was staring at Pavi, as pale as a corpse. Her frail body began to quake and she clutched to him for dear life. He put the girl down, pulling out the short knife on his belt, pushing her behind him. She looked up at him fearfully.

"Shilo, you know a way out, I want you to find it and go. Don't worry about me." He said softly, his eyes still on Pavi. Shilo shook her head, her wide eyes filled with terror. That look pushed him over the edge and he barked angrily. "I said go!" She hesitated but ran off, limping slightly. Grave Robber turned his attention to Pavi once more, who was watching him curiously.

"You are a fool Grave Robber. Do you realize u-what you have done?" Pavi spoke softly, his feminine voice suddenly more menacing. Grave robber smirked with false confidence.

"Whatever do you mean Largo?" He said through his teeth. Pavi smiled, which incidentally was the most frightening thing Grave Robber had seen in a very long time.

"She will come back, and it u-will destroy her." He said softly, leering at the grave robber.

"She's smarter than that, why would she run to you on purpose?" He spat, disbelief and anger widening his charcoal rimmed eyes.

"Silly Grave Robber. Because I am u-going to torture the one she loves."

Grave Robber stared at the man in confusion, not comprehending what Pavi was saying. Everyone of the girls family was dead, who could Pavi mean…he recalled the incident a couple nights ago. The sadness on her face when he had rejected her. No… it couldn't be… a sharp pain in the back of his head startled him out of his thoughts, and he crumbled to the floor with a groan, the world going black.

So sorry it took so long to update! in love with a new book series, the 50 shades trilogy. might start a fanfic on that soon. anyway, will have the next chapter up probably by tomorrow. look forward to it! and let me know what you think!


	6. Memories and Loved Ones

Grave Robber awoke slowly, his head aching dully as he tried to clear it. Once his vision began to clear he saw Pavi standing in front of him One of his lackeys stood to the side, silent and brooding. That must be the one that hit him over the head he assumed, watching the man silently. He tried to move, and that was when he noticed the rope that bound him tightly to a chair, his hands pinned behind his back uncomfortably.

"Welcome back Grave Robber, I was wondering when you u-would awaken." Pavi said with a smirk on his face. God Grave Robber wished he could knock the stupid grin off the devils face.  
>"Now as I was saying, you are the u-last living person little Shilo u-cares about. I have sent someone to u-track her, and give her a message of your u-plight. I expect she will be here within the hour. Which u-means you'll u-get outs of this without u-too much damage." Grave Robber watched the man slink toward him, knife in hand. He snarled at Pavi, eliciting a light chuckle from the demon. Grave Robbers heart stopped as the knife presses against the side of his face.<p>

"You know, you u-have a nice face for a man. You are u-lucky I only wear the faces of women." Grave Robber fought back the overwhelming urge to flinch away from the man, feeling the cold bite of the metal blade against his cheek. He bit back a cry as the blade cut into his skin, and blood dripped down his cheek and chin. A hiss of pain escaped him and he glared daggers at Pavi. The adrenaline made him bold and he spit in pavis face. Pavi stood staring at him, a mix of shock and outrage marring his eery face. He snarled and shoved the knife into Grave Robbers thigh, pulling a pained howl from the gaunt mans mouth.

Meanwhile…

Shilo limped through the alley, looking behind her hesitantly. She kept waiting to hear Grave Robbers footsteps catching up to her, but she remained alone. She walked through the dead city, looking around hopelessly. She yelped as she stumbled right into somebody, somebody wearing a repo mask. Her face was ashen and she backed away, tripping and falling to the ground. The repo man spoke not a word, but merely handed her a piece of paper and turned to disappear into the shadows. Shakily she picked up the folded paper, and read the note inside.

_Dear Mrs. Wallace,_

_I assumed the foolish Grave Robber would attempt to send you away, so I had this note ready. I have your beloved Grave Robber here, and every second you stay away he shall suffer horribly. You are a sweet girl, surely you do not want this mans suffering on your conscience. After receiving this note, you have one hour to return to your house, or he dies a gruesome death. The clocks ticking Mrs. Wallace, I look forward to seeing you again. After all, we had such a nice time when last we met._

_Pavi Largo_

Shilo dropped the note, her hands shaking. Panic filled her mind as visions of Mag's impaled body at the opera, her father dying in her arms. She couldn't let the closest thing to family she had left die too. Turning around, she began limping back toward her house, struggling to accept her fate.

Back at the Wallace house…

Grave Robber was slumped forward in his chair. Bloody gashes marred the pale skin of his arms and chest. One particularly gruesome cut over his right eye was bleeding freely. Vaguely he was relieve that he could still see out of his eye. Pavi watched him with fascination, like a child watched a worm struggle across the pavement after a hard rain, as he pushed his finger into the stab wound on Grave Robbers thigh. He moved his finger, grinding into the gash, savoring the groans of pain that escaped his victim. When he heard the front door open, he stood and turned, facing Shilo Wallace.

Grave Robber saw her too, and shouted at her to run. She just stared at him, her eyes wide and terrified as she took in the damage done to him. He hated that expression. It haunted his dreams every night. The same expression his mother wore as his father beat him over and over. The expression his mother wore as she let it happen.

"Let him go…you have me so please…let him go." She said, trying so hard to sound strong. Grave Robber looked at her, a whole new kind of agony washing through him.

"Damnit Kid, why are you doing this!" He yelled at her, causing her to flinch slightly. She looked at him blankly for a moment, then answered softly.

"Because I have to protect the ones I love…"


	7. Tragic Love and Victory

Grave Robber stared at the girl blankly, ignoring Pavi's claps of delight. His mind was reeling as he stared at Shilo, like he was seeing her for the first time. Then the panic set in as he realized what was going to happen to her, all because of him.

"Shilo, leave. Run and don't you dare look back, you hear me?" He said slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. His heart ached when he saw the small sad smile spread across her lips. He flinched as Pavi lurked next to him.

"You see Grave Robber? Now you watch what happens to your poor u-Shilo, knowing it was u-your fault that she suffers." Grave Robber felt ill as Pavi's dead lips whispered in his ear the words that his own mind had been screaming at him since Shilo walked in the door. He struggled in vain as Pavi lurked back toward Shilo. She eyed him nervously, but stood her ground, putting on a brave face. Pavi's hands roamed over her body greedily, and she had to fight the urge to pull away. Suddenly she was pushed to the ground, and she winced and hissed in pain as she landed on her sore shoulder. As Pavi began to ascend onto the girl, the front door once again burst open, and there stood yet another surprise. Grave Robber wasn't sure how much more of this he could stand. For there, on the thresh hold stood Amber Sweet.

"Fuck Pavi, I told you no!" She yelled in that whiny voice of hers. Pavi stood with a scowl, folding his arms like a stubborn child.

"It is not u-fair sister. Luigi-" Amber cut him off mid sentence, glaring daggers at him.

"Luigi has faced punishment for going against my wishes, and if you refuse to cooperate then you will too. I'm in charge now Pavi, what I say goes, so FUCKING DEAL WITH IT!" Amber ignored the grave robber and Shilo completely, staring at her brother in annoyance. Pavi knelt with a sigh and whispered in Shilo's ear before standing and following Amber out the door, followed closely by his henchman. The door shut behind them, leaving the Grave Robber and Shilo alone at last. They stayed silent for a moment, more shocked than anything. Finally Shilo stood shakily and hurried over to Grave Robber, fumbling with the knotted rope, trying to untie him. He groaned and moved his arms tentatively, trying to ease some of the pain in his shoulders. He looked up and Shilo looked so worried that it made his heart stop.

"What?" He demanded. She looked at him like he was an idiot.

"You look like death. Let me go get the first aid kit…" She ran off up the stairs, ignoring his protests. A few minutes later she ran back down the stairs. She stared at him uncertainly, her hands shaking.

"Er…I'm not sure where to start…there's so much blood…" He shook his head, beckoning her over.

"Most of them aren't serious, the stab wounds in my leg need attention though. The head wound isn't too deep, they just bleed a lot so they look bad…" He trailed off, watching her silently for a moment as she awkwardly pulled out a needle and thread. "On second thought kid, I think I'll just do it myself. I have a feeling you've never used a needle in your life, let alone stitched someone up."

She looked at him indignantly, a slight pout on her face. "I have too used needles before, for my bug collection." She stated, looking proud. He barked out a laugh.

"Yea, and look how those patients ended up, dead. Think I'll do it myself, thanks for offerin' kid." He quickly cleaned up the gashes in his legs, sewing them shut, trying not to wince. Once he was done he sat back with a tired sigh, looking at Shilo silently. She squirmed under his piercing silent gaze.

"Are you mad?" She whispered, looking at him with those big doe eyes.

"Extremely." He stated curtly, staring her down. She flinched and looked down at the floor.

"I…I'm sorry. I thought…maybe you felt…the same." She trailed off awkwardly, staring at her feet. He stared at her confused, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward him.

"What are you talking about kid? I'm mad because you came back! Do you realize what he was going to do to you?" She looked up at him surprised.

"So…you aren't mad that I said..I love you?" He stared at her blankly for a moment, then closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"No Shilo, I'm not mad about that. But it almost killed me to watch you walk through that door…and say those words, knowing you were going to die right there in front of me. That's even a bit too tragic for me, and I rob graves for a living." He sighed, shaking his head, studying her for a moment.

"Some good came of this at least, sounds like Amber has a pretty tight leash on the largo brothers. We shouldn't get much grief from them from now on…" He trailed off as Shilo looked at her feet, fidgeting. "Oh what is it already, spit it out." He groaned. She shook her head quickly.

"It's nothing, they just scare me is all." She said, trying to smile. He rolled his eyes.

"They scare us all kid, but every story needs a bad guy for the good guy to defeat."


End file.
